Sam Woo BBQ Part One-Breakfast!

Part Two is here

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog that was started by Kirk, an Ex-Pat Kama'aina.  He is on vacation.  The Temp, Cathy, a White girl from Detroit and East San Diego County is blogging for now.

Hi, again. As part of my thinking about a "regular rotation" for The Mister and I, stopping into Sam Woo inside 99Ranch Complex for something to go or to eat inside the restaurant comes to mind.  

Sam Woo BBQ has breakfast ($3.20 for all items, a choice of 33 different salty wonders, with a charge of 30¢ for a pot of tea, or 30¢ each for a cup of Vietnamese coffee-which I will explain soon) and lunch specials (either $4.95 or $5.95) seven days a week.  I will post about lunch tomorrow.  

So, anyhow, we went to breakfast this morning.

We got the only rice dish on the menu, #33.  Fried rice with Lunch meat (i.e., fake Spam).   It is always satisfying, and plentiful, made with peas, carrots and egg as well as the bits of  Luncheon meat.  We usually take some home to have later- for lunch or dinner.  Sometimes we get the #1- stir fried rice noodles with Luncheon meat-same stuff but with noodles. 

This day we also got #2 on the menu- Fried rice noodles with bean sprout and soy sauce.  This is a favorite- the wide rice noodles, stir fried and slightly burnt, with onions and bean sprouts and in a light, not salty tasting soy flavored sauce.

We, of course always order three dishes (one for each of us and one for the table) and this day got the #10-Won Ton Noodle soup.  This is always a favorite. The whole bottom of the bowl is all egg noodles and there are some pieces of bok choy in the rich, rich pork broth that has a slight white pepper kick to it.   There are always five dumplings, thin skinned and filled with a lot of great pork filling.  The #11- shrimp dumpling soup is the same but the dumplings had half the amount of pork filling and a whole shrimp inside. Some days, it depends on what we want to eat.  

There are 6 different porridges on the menu, but Sam Woo does not make the fried donuts that go with porridge.  You have to walk across the hallway into  the 99 Ranch Market and go to their steam tray area and buy the donuts for 40¢ each.  I see families sitting down, ordering and then one person running out the door to get donuts all the time.

Ah, one of the perks of breakfast here.  30¢ pots of tea and 30¢ cups of Vietnamese coffee- it is made in an electric drip coffee pot and not the traditional Vietnamese slow drip pot, but is just as strong, and served with the nifty pitcher of sweetened condensed milk that will 'cut off' the thick sticky substance and works perfectly to keep that sweetened condensed milk from getting all sticky on the container.  They don't do refills on the coffee, but one cup, along with the tea is just perfect for me for breakfast.

A nice, inexpensive, wonderfully salty breakfast in a sit down restaurant.  It is a great way to start the day.  If you have to go grocery shopping, just walk across the hall.

Sam Woo BBQ inside 99Ranch Complex 7330 Clairmont Mesa Blvd San Diego 92111 (619)505-9888 fax (619)514-8988 (The paper handouts all have the 619 area code; I am not sure if this is correct; if you are trying to call and it doesn't go through, try 858 as the area code)Breakfast 9:00 -11:00 a.m. M-F, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Sat-Sun

Comments

[Roger]

Sam Woo is in every city I go! Just this weekend I spotted one in Las Vegas next to...yep you guessed it: 99 Ranch Supermarket.

[nhbilly]

That's funny how people have to run next door to get the fried doughnut for the porridge. Not to mention wife is going to make chicken porridge tomorrow. YUMMY.

[Cathy]

Hi Roger- Yes, I suppose I should have also cateorized this as a Chain...I have to check out that whole area of Vegas the next time I drive there. I do try to hit 99Ranch at every location.
Good morning Bill- The porridge here is good. For $3.20, even easier. I guess it is too much trouble to calculate how many donuts to make, so it works out for both places to only have the donuts in one spot. The "donut run" is amusing to watch while waiting for caffiene to kick in. I am amazed at how well the timing works out.

[Caroline]

Thanks, I've never gone for breakfast, but this looks good! I love rice porridge. Yum! Thanks for blogging about it.

[Cathy]

Oh, I love the breakfasts here, Caroline. For the price, you should at least try it, but don't forget to get a donut at 99... The coffee alone is worth it for me...that plus salty = mmm!!!

[Liz]

I love eating breakfast at Sam Woo. I love wonton noodle soup with no noodles ( I just pass it on to my guy). If you are ever in the Bay Area you must check out Hing Lung on the edge of Chinatown in SF bordering North Beach. They make their own sweet and savory doughnuts (piping hot... quite a hit even with people just passing by and wanting a snack), there's many varieties of porridge and they also make several varieties of steamed rolled noddles. Just thinking about it makes me want to visit home.

[Cathy]

Hi Liz- Thanks for the tip. Everyone seems surprised I have never been that far North, but I am sure I will be going someday soon, for work if nothing else. I love the salty breakfasts at Sam Woo. We try to go early, before there is a line to get in...

[yummieyummy]

The other day I had to stop by one of the office behind 99 Ranch and my car PRNLD won't go to reverse. I was stuck there for a while and thought about your post so while waiting for my sister to come for rescue, I went to eat at Sam Woo. I got the sea cucumber hot pot and it was great. I haven't had that for a while. After that I got the coffee boba from the same place as well....mmmyum Cathy, if you like coffee like me (I make one for myself almost everyday) I'll send you a recipe for Vietnamese coffee.

[Cathy]

Um, I live for coffee, YY. If I do Vietnamese coffee, it is usually just the drip stuff and sweetened condensed milk... hot and sometomes cold. I am glad you got to try the sea cucumber soup. I like that I leave subliminal messages for people and they do try places. Lots of comments have been about how people would not have tried or wanted to try places but because of the blog, they did. That is just so neat to know that we have an influence...about food.